Phil Keoghan was the first to arrive at his pit stop yesterday but Coromandel holidaymakers appeared oblivious to having an Emmy-winning reality TV star in their midst.

Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race in which competing couples race to complete challenges around the world, cycled the 26km from his holiday home in Matarangi to Coromandel without apparently encountering any road blocks or detours, to breakfast with his wife Louise and friends at Umu Cafe.

Keoghan and his family are based in Santa Monica, but the New Zealand-born star has been spending Christmas on the Coromandel Peninsula since 1989.

"We started coming here when Louise's family established a house here and it's become a tradition. All of the family comes," he said.

Originally from Christchurch, Keoghan said he visited New Zealand in between filming commitments up to 12 times a year.

Sporting a few blisters on his hand, Keoghan took just over an hour to cycle the windy hill to Coromandel.

"We took it easy today because we did quite a hard ride yesterday. We've also been paddle boating, which is great exercise for core strengthening and complements the cycling."

There's also been time to fit in waterskiing and wakeboarding since the family arrived on December 22. They fly out this weekend as Keoghan is about to shoot the 13th season of The Amazing Race.

At the moment he is scouting for locations."I got involved with the show in 2000. I'd been to 60 countries before I shot the race, so it just offered me another opportunity to continue that travel.

"It's a really amazing job and fits in perfectly with the philosophy of my book No Opportunity Wasted, which is about giving people a kick up the arse to get off the couch and do the things they've always wanted to do."

Phil scouts for locations?

I hear he plans to be in NYC for the finale though....

Logged

RFF's Golden Rule:Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.

I have never believed that the start of AR13 is going to wait until March or April. If filmed mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, it is now high summer in South America, the southern part of Africa, Australia and New Zealand. I think there's a reasonable chance that casting is already complete. I cannot imagine Phil actually scouting locations when that job is the responsibility of Bertram van Munster and Elise Doganieri. They don't need Phil's help although his comments would probably be welcome. I think the route is scouted and ready to go. My bottom line is that AR13 may start immediately after Jan. 21 and it could conceivably start earlier than that if they manage extended an extended pitstop in the right place(maybe Europe) to get Phil to NYC on the 20th and back to wherever the evening of the 21st. I think that March/April talk is just a smokescreen so we are off-guard.

I believe as the Writers Strike goes deeper into the season, CBS will need inventory for the May sweeps. Look for TAR13 to premiere sometime in April. Just my guess. I'll check with my TV sources in the NFL who always seem to know everything about their TV network partners before anyone else.

More than 500 exhibitors. Trip giveaways. Cultural entertainment. And travel experts Rick Steves, Arthur and Pauline Frommer and Phil Keoghan of the Amazing Race and author of "No Opportunity Wasted". Itís everything you need to get far away from the every day.

IA with peach, while I'm sure she has good reasons to believe that I just think that if it IS going to film prior to when the application stated it would be sometime in Feburary, which could still allow it to air in March or April.

I second as well. I wasn't looking forward to waiting until spring for TAR12. Then it airs earlier, which brings hope to having TAR13 air. Now, it doesn't look like it, thus wishing they would've held it off (only because a summer run might get bumped back in favor of making up for loss time in case the strike ends).

That said, the only way TAR13 has started (or ended) is if they're doing this season with Billy Connolly or someone else that's not Phil. Otherwise, I don't think it's started either, unless they actually figured out a way to tape TAR13 without anyone knowing. Can't blame them, given what happened last year with knowing who placed where, but like they'd ever get away with taping without the greatest TAR detectives and people knowing about it!

I think they're close though, but it's looking like they're not getting the season done in time for this spring, as Phil has an obligation this Saturday. Not to mention NYC next Sunday and LA early February.

Logged

Every reality star is someone's favorite

Winning isn't everything, but it isn't considered nothing either. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a tribal council, a pit-stop, a boardroom, dimming of the lights, and so on

I hope to have some Phil pictures from the Evansville event to share later today--stay tuned!

Quote

Keynote speaker Phil Keoghan, host of The Amazing Race, will be giving his view on getting the most out of life with his "No Opportunity Wasted" philosophy. Phil's keynote address will be at 11 a.m. in the auditorium, with a meet-and-greet session immediately following at the Courier & Press booth.

Logged

RFF's Golden Rule:Have RESPECT for each other, regardless of opinion. This of course includes no flaming/insulting other users and/or their posts.